Under what conditions is surface application of manure prohibited in the WLEB?

• A. On snow-covered or frozen soil; when the top two inches are saturated from precipitation; or forecast predicts over 0.5 inches of rain in 24 hours without exceptions
• B. Only when soil is wet
• C. Only when crop is edible
• D. Only at night

Answer: (A)

In the Western Lake Erie Basin, the rule is designed to prevent manure from running off into water when conditions at the surface won’t safely absorb it. The strongest reason this set of conditions is correct is that each scenario—snow-covered or frozen soil, topsoil moisture at or above saturation from recent precipitation, or a forecast of heavy rain (0.5 inch or more) within 24 hours—significantly increases runoff risk. When any of these are present, surface application is prohibited to protect water quality, and this prohibition has no exceptions in the rule described. The other options don’t fit because they rely on a single, less relevant factor (like soil being wet only), or bring in unrelated factors (such as crop edibility or time of day) that aren’t part of this prohibition.